Monday, November 22, 2010

My husband and I are lucky enough to have our immediate - and even extended - families within 150 miles from our home. As such, we really don't need to take a commercial flight anywhere. If we wish to take a vacation, we prefer to take road trips that are closer to home, due to certain budgetary/work restrictions, which prevent a more extravagant, lengthier sojourn. That being said, I can still certainly appreciate the fact that flying is really the only logical option for some folks. Not everyone is able to simply hop on the interstate for two hours to see their families, and others may have to fly to reach their desired vacation destinations.

However, it's times like these that made me extremely glad that I don't have to spend time going through airport security - and sad for those who do.

(Oh, and remember how the government assured us that those XXX x-ray machines can't save/record images? Big fat lie.
Now, I know that we can't be 100% protected. Everything we do in life involves risk. However, when implementing a new process/procedure, wouldn't anyone want to emulate the folks who have gotten the process as close to perfect as possible?

A leading Israeli airport security expert says the Canadian government has wasted millions of dollars to install "useless" imaging machines at airports across the country.

"I don't know why everybody is running to buy these expensive and useless machines. I can overcome the body scanners with enough explosives to bring down a Boeing 747," Rafi Sela told parliamentarians probing the state of aviation safety in Canada.

"That's why we haven't put them in our airport," Sela said, referring to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, which has some of the toughest security in the world.

...Oh. Well, who is that guy to talk? He's probably just a new guy without any practical experience in the matter.

Sela, former chief security officer of the Israel Airport Authority and a 30-year veteran in airport security and defence technology, helped design the security at Ben Gurion.

Well, there goes that theory.

Besides, as Sela testified before the Canadian parliament, he would be able to bring high-grade explosives onto a Canadian/American flight with great ease, even with the body scanners.

So, Israel's airports seem to have it together, but what about their airlines?

According to Isaac Yeffet, the former security chief for El Al Israel Airlines, the United States should adopt El Al’s security approach of ensuring that every passenger is interviewed by a well-trained agent before check-in, a move that involves profiling passengers, which he said is not discriminatory.

El Al is considered by most security analysts as the most secure airline in the world because of its track-record in deterring hijackings and terror plots. The airline has been free of terrorist attacks for about 30 years and it has experienced only one hijacking in its history. Global Traveler magazine has named El Al as number one in its Best Airline for Security for the last three years in a row.

Yikes, he said the dirty word - profiling.

Nonetheless, critics of American airliners adopting El Al’s security approach say it would violate passengers’ civil rights by allowing some passengers to be more intensely scrutinized than others.

...Typical. But profiling isn't defined by the Israelis as our always-so-eager-to-find-a-victim friends on the left seem to define the word (emphasis mine).

“...Profiling is not that I am choosing that I want to interview them. We don’t have discrimination [at El Al]. Every passenger--I don’t care who he or she is--has to be interviewed by security. We have to be polite. We know how to ask questions.”

“The TSA [Transportation Safety Administration in USA] wants to tell me we now have security in this country--this is an illusion,” he said. “It’s not security. It’s about time that we are proactive and reactive. In this country we fear reactive, we don’t do anything to be proactive.”

This is absolutely, 100%, right on the money. Instead of wasting an inane amount of time scanning and searching nuns, flight attendants, and toddlers, proactive measures can - and should - be taken.Yeffet goes on to say that simply by asking a few simple questions, so much can be garnered from not only the answers themselves, but how the answers are delivered. This is asking a question, and methodically studying body language, tone/timbre of voice, etc. of the person to whom they are speaking. According to Yeffet, this method received little pushback from passengers, unless they had something to hide.

One other huge difference between the Israelis and our TSA agents, is the training. According to Sammy Elrom, a Homeland Security consultant, TSA training is completely insufficient. He states that TSA personnel is "not trained to gather and evaluate immediate threats," and instead is only focused on a specific list of disallowed items. As such, he goes on to say, that "weapons are not the problem, people are." By focusing on a psychological/passenger behavior approach to security, it only further prevents the potential of a terrorist utilizing an otherwise inconspicuous object as a means of bringing down a plane.

Look, I don't doubt the motives of Janet Nepolitano and the rest of the federal government. I know they only wish to keep us safe. However, our efforts are sorely misplaced. We are wasting valuable time violating the rights of completely innocent people by putting them through invasive, insulting, and degrading search procedures, looking for an ever-growing list of "stuff" that they may, or may not catch. Besides, the next time the terror threat is raised, what's the next step up in the security ladder - mandatory cavity searches for everyone?

The more time we waste looking for an ever-growing list of stuff and conducting unreasonable searches on toddlers and grandmothers as opposed to looking at behaviors, the less likely we will be to spot those who truly wish to do us harm.

Monday, November 15, 2010

I don't think it needs to be said that there is a lot - and I mean a lot - of complete crap on television these days. With reality shows over-saturating the airwaves, it can be a rare thing to find a good, old fashioned, scripted program, with real characters, and silly things like "plots" and such. In 2006, I thought I'd found that on ABC with "Brothers and Sisters."

The show focuses on the familial interactions between members of the Walker family. The story lines take place in their home state of California, and primarily deal with the myriad of complications, dramatics, and in-fighting that larger families tend to have. On the whole, the show is a heartwarming one, with excellent dialogue, and incredibly relatable moments sprinkled throughout the series.

Let's not forgot, though, that it's still a product of network television. As such, almost the entire family is predictably liberal, with the exception of "Kitty" - played by Calista Flockhart - who is a Republican pundit/political insider. At best, Kitty's character is a RINO, but still a strong character, regardless. Besides, let's not kid ourselves - it's California. I'll take what representation I can get as a conservative female.

On previous episodes, comments regarding any and all Republicans had been largely limited to jokes and friendly banter between Kitty and her liberal family members. It never felt cruel or mean-spirited. However, on November 14th's episode, that friendly banter turned, well, far more than that.

"Nora," portrayed by Sally Field, plays the mother of the five Walker children. Her character has recently tak en a job as a radio show host, hosting a program called, "Ask Mom," where she offers motherly advice to her callers. On this most recent episode, she is venting to her co-worker, "Carl," about a run-in she recently had with another fellow radio host, who is none other than the station's conservative talk show host.

...I'm sure you can see where this is going (emphasis mine).

NORA: Ignorant, small-minded, friggin' neanderthal!

CARL: "...You must have finally met our very own Giddrick Reischel.

NORA: Yeah. I foolishly listened to his stupid, right-wing call-in show last night on the way home from work and it was filled with - I mean filled with lies! Lies about global warming, lies about immigraiton, lies about healthcare...so right now in the hallway, I ran into him, and I thought I would set him straight about a few facts.

CARL: Oh, Nora...

NORA: ...You can't believe the vile things he said to me!

CARL: You can't take it personally. He's like that with everyone.

NORA: How can I not take it personally? He called my show, "Ask Madam Mau!"

CARL: Take a breath. Now, do you know who the two biggest advertisers are on his show? Laser beam home security systems and herbal firm male potency pills. Now as a trained psychotherapit, that tells me two things about him and his audience - paranoid personality type, with accompanying morbid insecurity disorder.

Gee. Where do I even start.

Nora's opening line in this dialogue is a perfect example of how liberals react to a conservative viewpoint : "stupid," 0f-lesser-mind, etc. It can't just be, you know, different from what you believe...it makes you less of a person! And really, ABC? You gave the conservative radio host a Germanic-sounding name? OH, I get it! He's a nazi! That's just hilarious.

In addition, all of the things that conservative radio hosts have been warning about with regards to global warming, immigration, and health care have proven to be anything but lies.

The Global Warming/Climate Change/Whatever-They'll-Call-It-Tomorrow alarmists are being proven as frauds bit-by-bit, piece-by-piece, with each passing day. Don't forget about the "For me, but not for thee" crowd, who demand that we submit to the Climate Change Gods, while they flutter around in fly private jets and spend over $500/month just to heat an indoor swimming pool

...and Health Care Reform. I saved the best for last! Remember when President Obama assured us time and time again that our insurance costs would go down? Oh, wait, they didn't? And what's this about some folks LOSING coverage as a result of this abomination of a bill? And WHO is the one lying again?

It's okay, Nora. Facts are hard.

The show's portrayal of conservative radio hosts as mean-spirited bomb-throwers when conversing with someone who holds opposing viewpoints is also completely absurd. Conservatives enjoy open, honest debates with anyone who is willing to do so, without relying on tired, vague talking points that lack any statistics, facts or substance (see: everything the Obama administration regarding Health Care Reform).

The final insult was, indeed, the worst of them all. The "paranoid personality type, with accompanying morbid insecurity disorder" assertion may as well have been a simple re-wording of Obama's infamous "bitter and clinging" line. And seriously? Male enhancement pills? Over the last week, some of the sponsors I've heard for Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity's programs have included Carbonite (computer backup system), LegalZoom (a do-it-yourself legal website), and Lear Capital (an investment firm). If anything is to be garnered from these sponsors, it's that listeners of these radio programs are...responsible and successful.

So what do we have at the end of the day - a network television program which portrays conservatives as nasty, overly-paranoid, bitter, clingy, nazi hatemongers, who could possibly function at the level of their more enlightened, liberal counterparts.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

One of the big issues my own county GOP is a lack of youth involvement. There are only a handful of folks in the county Young Republican group who meet regularly. There are some high school kids who helped out at a recent county GOP fundraiser I attended, but based on their behavior, I could tell they were largely there at the behest of their parents.
However, if this story is any predictor of things to come, it looks like some positive changes may be on the horizon. From Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, CA, meet The A-Team: the first High School Tea Party group to be officially recognized by the Tea Party Patriots. They have over 50 members, a faculty advisor, and receive absolutely zero financial support. As such, they have to come up with funds on their own to keep the group going. They are getting a lot of support on Facebook and are quickly gaining notoriety. Get ready to be impressed (emphasis mine).

...We were clearly tired of students basing the GOP, the Tea Party Movement and conservative ideals off of liberally biased media stereotypes. We know that what is happening to country now would not only affect us, but also our future children and grandchildren as well. We wanted to bring back the cherished idea that American values are important and should be something we are proud of but also return to the ideals the Founding Fathers implemented in the Constitution.

We are still a fresh movement, the first of its kind and we still have a long and exciting journey ahead of us. Our vision is clear: We believe in fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets like America was intended to have. We believe these principles are necessary in order for our country to be strong in the future.

We have a vision, a dream, a goal, and a mission to protect those ideals and the rights of Americans even though we cannot vote as minors. As we took the steps from making our dream become a reality, I realized that if a group of young adults in a Californian public high school can start this movement, then anybody can do the same anywhere in the United States of America.

We do not know yet the conflicts or opposition we may run into sooner or later, but we will carry on with the love, support, dreams, inspiration, and encouragement from Americans. We do not fear any attack from any critics because we know the truth and when you stand in the light of the truth nothing can tear you down.

I send this message out not only to the adults of America , but to the young patriots of America . You are not alone! Take a stand! Stand Up and carry on the torch of truth and courage. I humbly ask all Americans to help support this movement by informing their children and grandchildren of our country’s history. To encourage them to educate themselves about what needs to be done in order to preserve the work our founding fathers laid out in order to secure our future. Like Ronald Reagan once said, “We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.”

We are waiting. Together we will win because victory is inevitable.Because we know that our states are united by a history being forgotten and a future we shall face together. We are the A-Team, and we send this message so that our nation’s past will always be remembered. For in these memories, we will strive towards Life, Liberty , and the Pursuit of Happiness.

To see a group of high school students not only organize on their own, but speak coherently and with such passion about their mission, I can only hope that more young people follow their lead.

As I said, the groups is complete self-funded, and need donations to keep going. Please consider giving to such a worth cause. These kids are the future of conservatism, and absolutely deserve our support!

Friday, November 12, 2010

I really, really hate to say it, but I generally like Jon Stewart. I think he's a funny dude. I appreciate his sense of humor for what it is. I'm well aware that he's a liberal, and that many of his bits on "The Daily Show" take aim at conservatives, but he is equally capable of pointing out the absolutely moonbattery that takes place on his side of the aisle, and has done so frequently since Barack Obama took office.
As such, he was not afraid to challenge Rachel Maddow on her and MSNBC's conduct regarding the "Teabagger" remarks that fly around the failing news network so frequently and without reverence. The best part? He did so while a guest on her show.

(emphasis my own)

RACHEL MADDOW, HOST: The caricature of the Left being as vociferous as the right is something that…

JON STEWART: I don't think that's the caricature of the Left. I really don't. I think the caricature of the Left is one that is slightly that -- that – they use as a cudgel. Didn't you hate when the Republicans used to use the phrase DemocRat. DemocRat.

MADDOW: The DemocRat Party. Has the word rat in it.

STEWART: It seemed dickish. DemocRat Party. Or when you spoke out against the war, there was a subtle undertone of you're un-American, you don't want to win the war on terror. Well, I think that what also comes out sometimes from the other side is teabagger. Now that’s I think derogatory. And I don't think anybody would mistake it for that, for anything other than that. And it's been used on this network quite frequently, by hosts, by guests…

MADDOW: You don't think it was funny that they were calling them, they were saying tea bag the White House before the White House tea bags you?

STEWART: I thought it was funny for a day. I thought it was funny for a day.

MADDOW: Funny enough to play the John Waters clip of the teabagging thing on a bar?

STEWART: For a day. Probably wouldn't have run with it with guests and things for months.

MADDOW: I didn't run it for months.

STEWART: No, but your part…

MADDOW: But I got criticized for it for months.

STEWART: Well, because you kind of made hay of it. You made more hay of it than maybe that, you know, that…

MADDOW: Took the joke too far.

Maddow seems so desperate for Stewart to side with her, like someone trying to be liked by "the cool kid." It's quite, quite sad.

The truth is, though, that even Stewart can't side with her. MSNBC has overplayed the "Teabagger" angle, along with every other derogatory Tea Party/Republican/Conservative reference one can think of. Worse yet, they've done this to the point that their snark and incivility has been 100%, complete overkill - a far cry from the light-hearted, "Those silly Republicans...and occasionally, Liberals" attitude that allows Stewart to be so much more successful. Plus, Jon Stewart can actually be, um, funny. Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow just come off as angry, bitter, and totally partisan.
Noel Sheppard, author of the Newsbusters article in which this clip appears, hits it out of the park.

And therein likely lies the real problem for both Maddow and Olbermann: in trying to inject humor into their reporting, they've both become farcical caricatures of newscasters that can't possibly be taken seriously.

As much as they want to be considered as journalists, they also strive to be Jon Stewart. By contrast, he just sees himself as a satirist commenting on the day's events with as much humor as possible.

Jon Stewart is a left-winger with whom I disagree on many, many things. However, what makes him so successful, is that he knows he's just a smart-ass with a national audience, and doesn't expect anyone to take him seriously. He knows he can't be both a smart-ass and a serious journalist. Maddow and Company, on the other hand, do not.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Tuesday night's election results were a fierce punch in the gut for Democrats. With entrenched incumbents like Russ Feingold and Blanche Lincoln having their rears handed to them by their Republican opponents, not to mention the monstrous 60+ seats in the House which suffered the same result, many Democrats are failing to see the clear, unmistakable writing on the wall.

First, you have some devout liberals confidently claiming that the en masse election of Republicans...means that Democrats just weren't liberal enough.

Last night, Democrats lost seats. Those losses have been predicted since January... it's not news. What is news is that Democrats lost seats not for being too progressive -- they lost seats for not being progressive enough. Although some in Washington will undoubtedly try to make the public think that Democrats lost this election cycle because they fought too hard, did too much, and went too far left -- nothing could be further from the truth.

...Right. Sure. That's like saying that I'd pull the lever for a Progressive candidate because the Republican candidate was a RINO. If liberalism is your thing, why would you vote for the polar opposite?

Journalists aren't the only ones hitching a ride on the "Blame the Blue Dogs" bandwagon. Recently ousted Representative Alan Grayson (see also: "crapweasel"), also believes that the Democrats' "strategy of appeasement" was the final nail in the electoral coffin. Yeah, he's right, but not for the right reasons; Blue Dog Dems campaigned on platforms that were far more conservative than the "big government" junk many of them ended up supporting (see: "bought off"). It's called "Bait and Switch," and it is not well received, um, ever. On top of that, exit poll data show that voters were indeed skeptical of the "more, not less" approach to governing, as well as being overwhelmingly opposed to two of the Democrats' biggest spending bonanzas, the stimulus package and the health care bill.

For the Democrats who were lucky enough to make it out alive, they came out swinging after the dust settled. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, whose re-election still smells funny, along with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, hopped on a conference call with the press on Wednesday, repeating the same tired argument.

Reid, especially, renewed a threat he made before, that Republicans must stop obstructing and start cooperating...

“Republicans must take their responsibility to solve the problems of ordinary Americans,” Reid said. “Simply saying ‘no,’ as we’ve had this past Congress … won’t bring jobs back. It won’t strengthen the economy, and it won’t help families who are struggling to make ends meet. ‘No’ is not the answer. It has to be ‘yes.’ Not our ‘yes,’ but a combined ‘yes,’ something we work out — a consensus ‘yes.’”

“Playing to a draw in the United States Senate for political score is not acceptable to the American people,” added Durbin. “We need to work together. The Senate will be the crucible for some of the most important issues of our day.”

This one really, really burns me. They've got some serious stones to make that kind of statement. Republicans have been locked out of the political process - literally - along much of the way. C-SPAN even came out publicly against the administration's attempt to keep all of these locked-door, secret committee meetings, well, a secret, even after Obama promised C-SPAN free and open access to said meetings. Let's not forget our President, the Prince of Bi-Partisanship, while in a meeting Republicans discussing their concerns about the stimulus package, reminded Republicans to respect his authority, because he won.

Clearly, at this point, it's really not the Republicans who need to learn to play well with others.

Besides, Republicans should be the last group that Democratic leaders should be worried about. According to The Hill, a number of Democratic Senators who come up for re-election in 2012 could have some serious issues maintaining those seats. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.), in particular, could have a particularly difficult battle ahead of them, considering they come from states whose hues recently went from blue to red. Don't forget Ben Nelson, the Senator whose vote in favor of the health care bill was so easily sold.He couldn't even go out for pizza in his home state without being heckled out of the restaurant for casting such an unpopular vote. As such, the likelihood of his re-election is slim, and he may choose to retire as a result.

The reality for Democrats is that they no longer have a majority in the House, and maintain a slight majority in the Senate, which could still easily become meaningless if only a handful of Blue Dogs defect, if only to save their own hides. Progressive Democrats are no longer in a position to ignore or demean their Republican colleagues and the ideas they bring to the table. The Liberal Wet Dream they once hoped to force down our throats at breakneck speeds is no longer going to happen. It's time that they accept it, and move on.

Anyhow, in honor of my new buddy, I thought I'd take a moment to illustrate just a few of the many, many, many examples of how the African-American community has shunned, or even shown violence to fellow blacks, because of the conservative political views they hold.

1) J.C. Watts

Mr. Watts was the first black man that Oklahoma had ever sent to Congress, and the first Republican from that particular district in 72 years. You'd think that this would be a milestone to be celebrated; well, not if you're a writer for Black Commentator, who didn't even have the stones to put their name to his article.

Of no use whatsoever are the likes of J.C. Watts, the retiring Black Republican Congressman from a white district in Oklahoma. He, too, is insane, an undiluted, reflexive Uncle Tom who cannot even begin to speak without projecting himself into the thought patterns of... insane white racists!

Disgusting. J.C. Watts is family man and a Baptist minister, whose only crime is holding a different set of political beliefs. Even though he broke down racial barriers in the most unlikely of places, it doesn't matter. He's still, apparently, a race traitor, who cannot possibly have his own thoughts, but only parrots those of his white counterparts.

2) Kenneth Gladney
Ken Gladney is your average guy. He's not famous and not a politician, but just a guy from Missouri who's worried about the state of our country.

In August 2009, he attended a town-hall meeting hosted by Missouri Democrat Russ Carnahan. While there, Mr. Gladney was passing out "Don't Tread On Me" flags and other Tea Party memorabilia. Needless to say, the SEIU Union goons were not pleased to see a dissident in the ranks. These thugs, some of whom were white, beat Kenneth Gladney mercilessly, utilizing racial slurs all the while. Per the police report, several witnesses support Gladney's allegations. Police officers even witnessed an SEIU supporter drop to the ground out of no where - all on his own - claiming that the cops were beating him. That "gentleman" was later arrested for interfering with a police investigation.

But if you thought the NAACP would rush to even a more conservative black man's defense, given their propensity to find evidence of racism even in the most unlikely of places, you thought wrong. They actually called Gladney an "Uncle Tom." Yes, a white man shouts racial slurs at a black man, proceeds to pummel him, and it's the black victim who is the target of the NAACP's anger. I guess that's what happens when a black person doesn't live and die by the liberal code that is somehow forced upon other African-Americans - that person's own struggles with racism are no longer an injustice.

3) Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice the USA's 66th Secretary of State, serving in George W. Bush's administration from 2005-2009. Rice was the first black female to hold the position, the second African-American (the first being Colin Powell), as well as only the second female (after Madeline Albright) to earn such a distinction. In addition to her diplomatic duties, she is also a professor and an accomplished musician, with a repertoire that extends from chamber music to duets with the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin.

Because Condoleezza Rice appears in this entry, you have undoubtedly ascertained that she does not have much in common with those on the Left, especially those on the African-American Left. Our friends at The Black Commentator were there again to provide their predictable analysis, advising that her political stance was evidence of her "profound disorientation," going on to say that she "doesn't know how to talk to black people." Further support could be found from Bill Fletcher Jr., former leader of the TransAfrica Forum, in saying that Rice was only "black by accident." Lastly, and quite unsurprisingly, Hollywood's very own Harry Belafonte referred to all black members of the George W. Bush administration as "black tyrants." Rice, of course, has responded to such comments with style and grace, by stating, "The fact of the matter is I've been black all my life. Nobody needs to tell me how to be black."

4) Jesse Lee PetersonMr. Peterson, a syndicated radio host and former TV host, is one of the more outspoken black conservatives, and thus, has become a magnet for controversy. He denounces affirmative action as "reverse racism," is fervently against illegal immigration, and is a board member on Project 21, an, an African-American conservative organization. In addition, he's not at all a fan of Barack Obama, having cited Obama's alleged desire to redistribute wealth, as well as his long-time relationship with former pastor Jeremiah Wright, as reasons why Obama will destroy our country.

While conservatives are likely nodding their heads in agreement, Peterson has found much resentment from the black community. Sandy Gholston, Marketing professor and writer for the Associated Press, says this in his blog about Mr. Peterson: "I would never insult a house Negro by calling Jesse Lee Peterson one. Peterson is far worse than a house Negro. Jesse Lee Peterson is a slave-catching Negro who takes pride in doing the dirty work against other black people for his master..."

The most ironic part about this affirmation, is the fact that Peterson works tirelessly at improving the lives of the black community. Peterson is the Founder and President of BOND Action, Inc., a non-profit organization, which has "helped men and their families regain control of their lives and overcome life’s challenges. The commitment of the organization stresses the importance of self-reliance, honesty, and helping others through patience." Offering counseling services, weekly meetings, and support programs for young men, children, and hopeful entrepreneurs, it's absolutely disgraceful that anyone could say that Peterson would "work against other black people," as Mr. Gholston so ignorantly stated.
______________________

I could have easily located another half a dozen examples similar to the four I've listed above. They are not difficult to find.

Black conservatives face many of the same challenges faced by their liberal counterparts. The difference, however, is that black conservatives face those challenges with determination and self-reliance, without allowing race-baiters like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to continue to make them feel like victims of a crime that can never be solved.

In closing, I leave a note to my new, not-so-like-minded friend in the blogosphere. Racism isn't limited to the ring wing, or to white people. As I've said in a previous entry, there are plenty of whack jobs to go around. Right under your nose, there has been pure, unequivocal, undeniable hatred and intolerance directed towards smart, accomplished, and incredibly philanthropic African-Americans. The worst part, is that these acts of bigotry are being committed by other African-Americans. So why don't you focus some of your unfiltered, unrestrained ire on those folks, and stop looking for racism at every single turn?

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Europe is learning something the hard way - that the utopian, "Who cares if you have no applicable job skills and can't speak the native tongue, we'll take ALL of you!" theory on immigration has proven to be a bust. Germany is only the latest in the longlineofEuropean countries to denounce their decades of irresponsible immigration practices.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has courted growing anti-immigrant opinion in Germany by claiming the country's attempts to create a multicultural society have "utterly failed".

Speaking to a meeting of young members of her Christian Democratic Union party, Merkel said the idea of people from different cultural backgrounds living happily "side by side" did not work.
She said the onus was on immigrants to do more to integrate into German society.

It's not for a lack of trying, either. Germany has been pursuing this concept of "multikulti," for years. It began in the 1960s with a wave of unskilled, poorly educated Turkish immigrants who worked as Gastarbeiter, or "guest workers," during West Germany's post-World War II boom. The push for an "open borders" society continued into the 1970's and 1980's, as the German progressive movement picked up steam.

However, this utopian society has proven to be anything but. Fifty years of a "y'all come" attitude on immigration has resulted in several generations of Turkish immigrants with no job skills who refuse to integrate into German society. By 2035, the German workforce could shrink by as much as 17%. Fewer skilled workers equals less production, and less economic growth.

Not only are these immigrants lacking in job skills, but by and large, many refuse to socially integrate into society as well. Thomas Meyer, a political scientist and member of Germany's Social Democratic Party, references a "parallel society" in which these immigrants live. Meyer uses the Netherlands as a reference point, which has already felt the effects of the Multikulti concept.

...developments in the Netherlands where, to some extent, the cultural 'pillarization' of immigrant groups received the support of political institutions, should be a warning for Germany...the maintenance of cultural differences is one reason for the unsatisfactory social, economic, and political integration, as the thus consolidated 'parallel society' block the creation of interlocking opportunity structures conducive to the formation of social capital and trust.

The incessant coddling behaviors of progressive liberals has allowed immigrants to flood into these European countries, with absolutely zero expectations of achievement, and 100% assurance of social/welfare services. With such an inviting climate, combined with statements from Turkey's own Prime Minister equating assimilation into society with crimes against humanity, what incentives do immigrants have to step outside of their comfort zone upon reaching their final destination?

While Europe is finally getting the memo, the United States is apparently looking the other way. With the DREAM act getting scarily close to making cloture, ICE's ridiculous "Catch and Release" policies, and even rumors of amnesty-via-executive-order, Europe's reality could very well become our own. Thankfully, though, the American People aren't looking the other way, as will quickly become evident on November 2nd.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

There's little doubt now that the Tea Party movement has created some serious waves in the political ocean over the course of the last year. With recent wins in Senate Primary races for Tea Party candidates Christine O'Donnell and Joe Miller, as well as the recent gain in the polls for Tea Party backed Senatorial candidates Sharron Angle, John Raese, and Mark Kirk, it's no longer possible for The Left to ignore their battle cries, hoping that they'll just "go away."

Realizing this, they've begun doing the only thing they can do - play a desperate, pathetic game of "Gotcha" that isn't even working. I give you, Tea Party Tracker.

A new website sponsored by the NAACP and left-leaning media operations is seeking videographers and bloggers who will search out "racism" and "extremism" among Tea Partiers.

...The site, sponsored by the NAACP, Think Progress, New Left Media and Media Matters for America, will monitor "racism and other forms of extremism within the Tea Party movement. We call on the Tea Party to repudiate extremists among their ranks and join in civil dialogue with all Americans."

Oh, here we go again. Seriously? Fine, I'll humor you; Tea Party leaders have already done just that here, here, and here in the form of a letter to the Congressional Black Caucus (which they ignored, by the way; just paint me a purty shade of surprised). Let's not forget the press conference held by several minority Tea Party members, during which they categorically denied ever feeling anything but 100% acceptance by the white members of the Tea Party organization; they even went so far as to denounce the NAACP for theirownincrediblehistoryofhypocrisyandbigotry.

...But I've allowed facts to get in the way of someone else's uneducated and agenda-driven opinion. SILLY ME.

Having said that, let's give these finger-pointing, social justice types the benefit of the doubt. They must have a whole host of evidence, which undoubtedly shows the Tea Party folks as the White Power isolationists that they really are, right?

...Not really.

The first thing you see when the website loads, is a live Twitter feed, whose tweets have the hashtag, "#teapartytracker;" this way, those on the prowl for, you know, all of that vile and disgusting Tea Party filth or whatever, can re-tweet those posts with said hashtag, and have them show up in the feed.

So, what are we waiting for, bring on the hate!

That's the entire feed, kids. Go there any other day, and that's more or less the same thing you'll see. Some Twitter-savvy Conservatives are even using it to showcase examples of aggressive, intolerant, and in the case of the tweet at the bottom of the feed, violent outbursts of so-called "tolerant" and "peaceful" Libs.

The only thing they've "caught" that could be interpreted as "extreme" or "racist," are a small handful of folks who either discuss on video, or show on a sign, depictions of Obama as a Muslim, infer that he was not born in the USA (seriously, Birthers, let it go), or some other play-on words regarding Obama and an African/Muslim upbringing. However, the overwhelming majority of their footage/photos depict people's anger about taxes, our ever-expanding government, the national debt, etc, which are the exact concerns of the Tea Party Patriots, as listed in their mission statement.

At the end of the day, this website has done virtually nothing, because that is exactly what they have found - barely more than zilch. The Tea Party's only concerns have to do with how big and incredibly expensive our government has become, and what it will take to make sure we don't go broke. The few who insist on turning Tea Party rallies into their own opportunity to showcase bigotry - either verbally or on a sign - are considered to be the "fringe," making up an extraordinarily small percentage, and not part of the "mainstream" within the Tea Party.

Besides, I'm sure our BFF's on the Left wouldn't consider these fellow Democrats part of their "mainstream," would they?

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Hardly a day goes by that we don't hear/see/read something from some "The Earth Is Our Mother" Lefty Cook regarding global warming climate change, carbon footprints, all of which usually being the most loudly espoused by those who have no right to finger-point about other people's energy use. And if you decide you're not buying what the enviro-quacks are selling, well, then this is apparently your fate.

With all of the above in mind, is it any wonder how these same sort of folks left the grounds of the National Mall in Washington D.C. after their "One Nation" rally on Saturday, October 2nd?

...I'll give you a moment to push back the rage. Go on, count to ten.

...Better? Good.

Now, for a palate cleanser. Let's go back in time a bit to the "Restoring Honor" rally on August 28th, 2010. It took place in the same location - the National Mall in Washington D.C. Pay attention towards the last bit of the video, when someone approaches a garbage bag and disposes of their trash properly. As conservative blogger "The Lonely Conservative" so succinctly put it, "I guess he was bitterly clinging to his trash until he could find somewhere to put it."

What a difference. Night and day, wouldn't you say?

This is just one more example of how liberals want to talk of an idealistic world in which everyone but themselves is expected to live.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

My employer is a strong believer of performance-based pay; in other words, if we perform our job functions above the company's expectations, we are rewarded.

My job function is not supervisory or executive-level. I am paid by the hour. It's very demanding, with a lot of responsibility and high performance expectations. Many of the people with whom I work are very tenured, some having worked there for twice and three times as long as I have. While some of my more-tenured peers do consistently perform better than what is required, most of them do a rather half-ass job, just to "get by". These people do not seek out promotions, special recognition, receive high bonus payouts, etc., nor do they expect them. They are happy to go to work and go home, doing the bare minimum. The job is just a job to them, and therefore not worth the extra effort.

However, if those low performers were teachers, they'd likely get the sun, the moon, and the stars, regardless of their performance/effectiveness in the classroom, thanks to years of school districts caving to the teacher's union.

...That is, unless they teach in the Washington D.C. public school system, in which they might be finding themselves with a pink slip in their hands.

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee announced Friday [July 23rd, 2010] that she has fired 241 teachers, including 165 who received poor appraisals under a new evaluation system that for the first time holds some educators accountable for students' standardized test scores.

"Every child in a District of Columbia public school has a right to a highly effective teacher -- in every classroom, of every school, of every neighborhood, of every ward, in this City," Rhee said in a statement, announcing the first year of results from the revamped evaluation, known as IMPACT. "That is our commitment. Today...we take another step toward making that commitment a reality."

And this new set of evaluation criteria isn't just an arbitrary set of guidelines, put together by a group of administrators with little actual classroom experience.

IMPACT is the culmination of over a year’s worth of research and design informed by extensive guidance and feedback from the DCPS community. Critical to the development process were over 40 question and answer sessions and over 50 focus groups with school-based personnel. In all, more than 500 teachers and other school-based staff were involved in this process.

This is especially refreshing to learn, that those in the classroom every day had a direct impact (no pun intended) on their own evaluation criteria.

Another key part of IMPACT, are the "Master Educators." Master Educators provide assistance to teachers on an on-going basis with professional development; part of that professional development also includes evaluating teacher performance, as part of the IMPACT program.

As you can probably imagine, there are many who are not happy with this new system. A survey of 1,000 teachers was taken, and the results left me irritated beyond belief.

Of the 1,000 teachers who responded [to the survey], 52 percent said they did not understand what was required of them under the nine "rubrics" laid out in the framework; 79 percent said they weren't shown adequate adequate examples, either through video or through personal demonstration, of what constituted high-level teaching under IMPACT. Forty percent said they didn't receive extra support from their "master educators" following a poorly-rated classroom observation.

Okay, lets pick this apart.

Fifty-two percent said they didn't understand the evaluation guidelines, 79 percent said they weren't shown enough examples of top-notch teaching, and 40 percent said they didn't get extra help after poor evaluations. To all of this, I have only one question: Did they ask anyone for help?

The first sign of a good employee in any profession, is one who wants to get better, and grow into a valued member of his or her field. School districts have support systems in place (in the case of DC Public Schools, the Master Educators) which are designed to provide that additional assistance. Also, the DC Public School District's own web site has training documents, and even sample lesson plans to help illustrate exactly what an ideal teacher should be doing. With all of these resources available to those who need them, the "I didn't understand" or "No one would help me" excuses don't hold water. It's the responsibility of the teacher - not the district - to seek out that help, and improve their performance. With over 6,000 teachers in DC Public Schools, it's foolish to think otherwise.

Michelle Rhee did exactly what she needed to do - clean house. Poor job performance is not tolerated in other professions, and it shouldn't be tolerated in education, either. Teachers who received poor evaluations and were lucky enough to keep their jobs need to stop whining, get off their duffs, and seek out every resource they can to improve their performance. It's absolutely no one's responsibility but their own.

...At the same time, the administration has told black farmers it lacks the funds to pay a $1.2 billion agreement they reached with the Department of Agriculture in 1999 to settle the Pigford class-action lawsuit.

...The agriculture disaster relief had been included in the small-business bill until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pulled it at the last minute in a bid for GOP support.

That's right. The government can't seem to find the cash to pay black farmers who were victims of discrimination, but they have plenty to pay off a white senator, to make sure she votes the way the White House wants her to.

...just wanted to make sure that sunk in for everyone.

There was another little gem that has the blogosphere in an uproar this week. Every once in a while, we'll hear this politician or that politician say something racially insensitive. If a Democrat says it, they will inevitably get a pass. Republicans? Well, not so much.

NEW YORK — President Obama waded into the national race debate in an unlikely setting and with an unusual choice of words: telling daytime talk show hosts that African-Americans are “sort of a mongrel people.”

...When asked about his background, which includes a black father and white mother, Obama said of African-Americans: "We are sort of a mongrel people."

"I mean we're all kinds of mixed up," Obama said. "That's actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it."

...What?! You cannot be serious. Did he just call black people, "mongrels"?! Granted, the technical definition of the word "mongrel" isn't quite as salacious. But the connotation of the word implies that one is impure, dirty, without social mores, etc. Why the hell would anyone choose to use that word?

But you know what? It doesn't matter. At the end of the day, the same folks who call Republicans a bunch of rrrrrrracists will choose not to acknowledge these and future insensitive remarks/actions from Democrats. But I'm sure that Democrats are well aware of this fact, and are counting on it to save their hides come November.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

It always seems to happen. Inside the massive, 2,000+ page bills that manage to move their way through congress, there always seems to be a few nuggets of pure gold that no one seemed to notice before. Where can one find a complete take-over of the student loan system? The health care bill, of course. A tax on gold? Naturally, the health care bill.

Needless to say, to find out that a Financial Reform bill also includes new industry employment mandates should come as no shock to anyone.

Deep inside the massive overhaul bill, Congress gives the federal government authority to terminate contracts with any financial firm that fails to ensure the “fair inclusion” of women and minorities, forcing every kind of company from a Wall Street giant to a mom-and-pop law office to account for the composition of its work force.

...This applies to “services of any kind,” including investment firms, mortgage banking firms, asset management firms, brokers, dealers, underwriters, accountants, consultants and law firms, the legislation states. Every contractor and subcontractor must now certify that their workforces reflect a “fair inclusion” of women and minorities.

"Fair inclusion," eh? So, what constitutes "fair inclusion?" Surely, with an outcome a severe as contract termination, the government would spell out what would be considered "unfair." Let's continue to read, in the hopes that my government won't let me down.

The law sets no quotas, not even ratios or goals for hiring. And the government has options other than termination at its disposal for contractors who fail to meet the “fair inclusion” standard, including referring the matter to the Labor Department.

Well, nevermind that, then.

But wait, it gets better. What is one of the reasons why lawmakers felt it so necessary to add this ridiculous provision into the bill? Because of how hard minority groups were hit after the subprime mortgage industry collapsed. You see, they don't feel that woman and minority-owned businesses received an adequate share of the $700 million bank bailout. Gary Acosta, co-founder of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, argued in the article, “Considering the devastation that has taken place in the minority communities – that was done by irresponsible and predatory lending – this makes sense and helps them mitigate that."

...Right. Because the individuals who insisted on buying a $200,000 home on a $15,000/year job bear absolutely no responsibility in those situations. Those ev-il bankers used their jedi mind tactics to TRICK them into lending that money! And it was TOTALLY someone else's fault that those businesses decided to lend completely unqualified people that money!

The closing act to this new gem of a government mandate, is probably just as you'd expect. The law "establishes at least 20 new Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion across the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve, Securities and Exchange Commission and other finance-related agencies."

So, at the end of the day, here's what we have - a fuzzy government mandate, rewards for those who made irresponsible decisions, and an inflated government.

The GOP will have plenty of epic failures of his administration to hit him with come November. If the only thing Obama has is a big finger pointing at someone else, accompanied by diatribe that largely consists of, "Hey what do you want from me," then he may as well just pack it in now.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Remember the good old days when our tax dollars paid for a big, yellow school bus to take our little youngsters to and from school?

Well, apparently, that's just not good enough for Columbus City Schools in Columbus, Ohio.

The school board authorized over half a million dollars to be spent to purchase up to 17,400 public bus passes, valid for up to one year. According to the district, they were only to for "official school functions and internships."

As most things, it sounded nice in theory, but in practice, well, not so much (emphasis mine):

The Columbus City Schools paid $520,470 to give up to 17,400 high-school students a COTA [Central Ohio Transit Authority] bus pass for one year, but the district is temporarily suspending the program starting today.

That means today, students who had free bus rides will have to pay the $1.75 one-way fare or the $2.50 express fare - even though district taxpayers already paid for them to ride the bus. The schools won't be getting any money back from COTA, either. This is the first time that students' riding privileges have been canceled mid-contract.

...If the district intended to limit pass usage, that's not what it paid for. The contract between the district and COTA says the service is "valid for unlimited rides on all COTA services effective October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010." Any "secondary student," which technically includes those out of elementary school, can use a school-issued bus pass.

Really? So, no one had the presence of mind to write into the contract, "Not valid on trips to the mall?"

Not only that, but these passes were purchased for students who didn't even attend Columbus City Schools.

The passes also can be issued to charter and private-school students who live within the Columbus City Schools boundaries, the contract says.

Well, that's nice and all, but if a parent chooses not to send their child to Columbus City Schools, why should Columbus City Schools pay for the bus fare to and from their school of choice?

Someone needs to be a grown up and take away the district's credit card. Enough is enough.